Solubilizing systems for flavors and fragrances

Abstract

The present invention provides compositions and clear oil-in-water microemulsion containing up to 80% w/w of an oil, a surfactant system, a w/w oil/surfactant system ratio between 1 and 3, and a solubilizing-aid ingredient which is not a surfactant neither a VOC compound, the latter being present in an amount sufficient to ensure that the ratio oil/(surfactant+solubilizing-aid) is between 0.1 and 5. The present invention concerns also the articles and products associated with such compositions and microemulsions, and the methods to manufacture them.

1. An oil containing composition comprising:
 A) from 0.01 to 80% w/w of an oil; 
 B) a surfactant system (S) of one or more anionic surfactants and one or more non-ionic surfactants, in an amount such that the concentration ratio oil/surfactant is comprised between 1 and 3; 
 C) a solubilizing-aid ingredient (SA) of pyrrolidone carboxylic acid sodium salt or a mixture of pyrrolidone carboxylic acid sodium salt with one or more salts selected from the group consisting of sodium benzoate, sodium L-lactate, calcium L-ascorbate, sodium bicarbonate, di-sodium succinate; 
 D) optionally water; 
 
       and wherein the ratio between the amount of oil (O) and the total amount of surfactant system (S) plus solubilizing-aid (SA) ingredient is comprised between 0.1 and 5;
 provided that VOC-free microemulsions which comprise from 1 to 30% w/w of an oil having a surface tension of at least 25 mN/m, at 25 C; a surfactant system containing one or more ionic surfactants and one or more non-ionic surfactants, the amount of ionic surfactant or surfactants being at least 50% weight, relative to the total weight of surfactant system; at least 60% w/w of water; and displaying a clarity comprised between 0 and 90 NTU as measured between 400 and 600 nm in a 2.5 cm cell at 25 C, are excluded. 
 
     
     
       2. A composition according to  claim 1 , in the form of a clear microemulsion comprising at least 10% by weight of water. 
     
     
       3. A composition according to  claim 2 , comprising a perfume in an amount of up to 30% weight relative to the weight of the composition. 
     
     
       4. A composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the amount of anionic surfactant or surfactants is at least 50% by weight of the total weight of the surfactant system. 
     
     
       5. A composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the amount of non-ionic surfactant or surfactants is at least 50% by weight of the total weight of surfactant system. 
     
     
       6. A composition according to  claim 1 , in the form of a clear microemulsion characterized by a surface tension, measured at 25° C. of between 20 and 30 mN/m. 
     
     
       7. A composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the oil is a perfume, a flavor, an antibacterial agent, a nutraceutical ingredient or a nutritional supplement oil, a cosmetically active agent. 
     
     
       8. A composition according to  claim 7 , wherein the oil comprises at least 75% by weight of a perfume, relative to the weight of oil. 
     
     
       9. A composition according to  claim 7 , wherein the perfume contains from 5% w/w to 99% w/w of terpenes or from 5% to 30% w/w of musks. 
     
     
       10. A composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the w/w oil/surfactant system ratio (O/S) is between 1.2 and 2.0 and the w/w oil/(surfactant system+solubilizing-aid) ratio O/(S+SA) is between 0.5 and 2. 
     
     
       11. A composition according to  claim 1 , wherein
 a) the anionic surfactant or surfactants are selected from the group consisting of sodium, potassium, ammonium and mono-, di- and tri-ethanolammonium salts of C 6 -C 12  dialkyl sulfosuccinic acids, C 7 -C 24  alkarylsulfonic acids, C 6 -C 15  alkylsulfuric acid, C 10 -C 20  acyl glutamic acid, and polyethylene glycol/dimethicone sulfosuccinic acids; and 
 b) the non-ionic surfactant or surfactants are selected from the group consisting of ethoxylated and propoxylated (C 5 -C 12  alkyl)phenols ethers containing 5 to 20 EO or PO units, polyethylene glycol sorbitol ether containing 3 to 30 EO units, sucrose esters with C 8 -C 20  fatty acid, ethoxylated aliphatic C 6 -C 20  alcohols containing 2 to 30 EO units, C 8 -C 20  polyglyceryl esters, polyethylene glycol and polypropylene glycol block copolymers, ethoxylated glycol ether containing 2 to 30 EO units, and polyethylene glycol mono- and -diester of aliphatic C 5 -C 11  carboxylic acids containing 2 to 10 EO units. 
 
     
     
       12. A consumer article comprising a composition of  claim 1 . 
     
     
       13. A consumer article according to  claim 12 , in the form of a perfume, a textile freshener, an all-purpose cleaner or a hair or skin preparation. 
     
     
       14. A consumer article according to  claim 12 , in the form of a beverage, a dairy product or a salad cream. 
     
     
       15. A method to confer, enhance, improve or modify the odor properties of a surface such as skin, hair, glass, tiles, textiles, a kitchen or bathroom surface, which method comprises applying to such surface an olfactive effective amount of a composition as defined in  claim 1 . 
     
     
       16. A method to confer, enhance, improve or modify the odor properties of a surface such as skin, hair, glass, tiles, textiles, a kitchen or bathroom surface, which method comprises applying to such surface an olfactive effective amount of an article according to  claim 13 . 
     
     
       17. A system for solubilizing oil, comprising at least one non-ionic surfactant and at least one anionic surfactant forming a surfactant system (S), and a solubilizing-aid ingredient (SA) of pyrrolidone carboxylic acid sodium salt or a mixture of pyrrolidone carboxylic acid sodium salt with one or more salts selected from the group consisting of sodium benzoate, sodium L-lactate, calcium L-ascorbate, sodium bicarbonate, di-sodium succinate, said surfactant system and solubilizing-aid ingredient being present in an amount sufficient to solubilize oil (O) such that the ratio O/S is comprised between 1 and 3 and the ratio O/(S+SA) is comprised between 0.5 and 5. 
     
     
       18. A system according to  claim 17 , wherein the w/w oil/surfactant system ratio is comprised between 1.2 and 2.0 and the ratio O/(S+SA) is comprised between 0.5 and 2. 
     
     
       19. A method to confer, enhance, improve or modify the odor, flavor, nutritional, texture, antibacterial, malodor counteracting and/or sun-screening properties, or skin-conditioning benefits, of a composition or of an article, which method comprises adding to said composition or article an effective amount of a composition or microemulsion according to  claim 1 .